Anthony Stark (Earth-616)
Hogan Potts, Spare Parts Man, Cobalt Man, Crimson Dynamo, Director Stark, "Shellhead" | Identity = Public | Alignment = Good | Affiliation = Avengers; formerly SHIELD, leader of Stark Enterprises, the Pro-Registration Superhero Unit, Mighty Avengers, Hellfire Club,Illuminati, Force Works, Avengers West Coast, United States Department of Defense. | Relatives = Isaac Stark (ancestor) Howard Stark, Sr. (paternal grandfather, possibly deceased) Howard Anthony Stark (father, deceased) Maria Stark (mother, deceased) Morgan Stark (cousin) Arno Stark (alternate reality cousin) | Universe = Earth-616 | BaseOfOperations = Stark Tower, New York City, New York; also has homes in Alexandria, Virginia, Seattle, Washington, and Los Angeles, California; Formerly Avengers Mansion and Avengers Compound. | Gender = Male | Height = 6'1" | Height2 = (Stark); 6'6" (armor) | Weight = 225 lbs | Weight2 = (Stark); 425 lbs (armor) | Eyes = Blue | Hair = Black | UnusualFeatures = | Citizenship = American | MaritalStatus = Single | Occupation = Executive Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., CEO of Stark Enterprises, Adventurer, Inventor, Industrialist; former United States Secretary of Defense | Education = S.B., Electrical Engineering, S.B., Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); graduated at the top of his class | Origin = Tony Stark was born to parents Howard and Maria Stark. During the Vietnam War (recently changed to the Persian Gulf War), Stark was captured by Communists and, with a piece of shrapnel in his heart, was about to die. Constructing a suit of iron armor that would also help with his recovery, Stark broke out of captivity and journeyed back home to the United States. | PlaceOfBirth = Long Island, New York | Creators = Stan Lee; Larry Lieber; Don Heck; Jack Kirby | First = Tales of Suspense #39 | HistoryText = | Quote = The job is its own reward... | Speaker = Iron Man Early Life Anthony Stark, son of industrialist and inventor Howard Stark, demonstrated his mechanical aptitude and extraordinary inventive genius at a very early age, enrolling in the undergraduate electrical engineering program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the age of 15.Avengers: The Ultimate Guide Double majors in physics and engineering were easy for him.http://www.ironmanarmory.com/earlyyears.html When he was 21, he inherited his father's business, Stark Industries, and within a few years turned it into a multi-billion dollar industry complex whose chief contracts were for weaponry and munitions for the U.S. government.Avengers: The Ultimate Guide __TOC__ Inventing the Armor Stark went to Vietnam (recently changed to the Persian Gulf) to supervise a field test for one of his transistorized weapons.http://www.marvel.com/universe/Iron_Man_(Anthony_Stark) He ignored concerns that security was insufficient. Stark tripped on a booby trap and a piece of shrapnel was lodged in his chest. The gravely injured Stark was taken captive by the Communist leader Wong-Chu, and was informed that within a week the shrapnel would penetrate his heart and kill him. Wong-Chu offered Stark a deal: if he built the Communists a powerful weapon, Wong-Chu would allow Stark to undergo an operation to save his life. Knowing this was a lie, Stark agreed, hoping to gain time and access to tools. Stark was given access to a small laboratory in communist territory with another captive, the renowned Oriental physicist and Nobel laureate Professor Ho Yinsen. With Yinsen acting as his assistant, Stark designed and built an electrically powered suit of armor equipped with heavy offensive weaponry. The armor also contained a pacemaker-like device which enabled Stark's heart to keep beating after the shrapnel entered it. Donning the suit, Stark connected it to its power source, an electrical generator. Lying on a table Stark was helpless until the suit was fully charged. His captor, Wong-Chu, sensed something was amiss and came to investigate with armed men. Realizing he was sacrificing his life, Professor Ho Yinsen went out to confront Wong-Chu, to give Stark the extra time he needed to charge the armored suit fully. As the Iron Man, Stark avenged Yinsen's death and scattered Wong-Chu's guerrilla troops.''Tales of Suspense'' #39 Then, still clad in his armor, which was necessary to keep his heart beating, Stark made his way to the jungle, trying to escape enemy territory. James Rhodes, a pilot in the United States Marines who was stationed in Southeast Asia, had been shot down in the jungle by communist rockets while he was on a reconnaissance mission. Rhodes managed to land safely and was attempting to get his helicopter air-worthy when he encountered Iron Man. After Iron Man helped Rhodes fight off an attack by communist forces, Rhodes allowed him to drain the helicopter's batteries to recharge his armor. The two tracked through the jungle together, finally discovering a hidden communist rocket base. Stealing an enemy helicopter, they destroyed the site and flew to the nearest American base. Back in the United States, Stark redesigned his chest plate, which contained a pacemaker-like device, reducing the chest plate's size and weight so he could wear it under his normal clothing. Required to wear the armor's chest plate at all times to keep his heart beating, Stark decided to put the rest of the armor to regular use as well. After redesigning the entire armored suit to match the lighter chest plate, Stark made the existence of the suit public. He concealed the suit's true origin, as well as the fact that he himself had to wear the chest plate to live. Stark made it known that he would soon manufacture the suit, which he called "the human machine," for sale to the public. Becoming Iron Man Soon afterward, Stark donned one of his battle suits in order to prevent thieves from stealing parts from the other copies of it. This experience made him realize that the suit was too dangerous to be made available to the public. The next day Stark revealed what had happened to him in Southeast Asia to Joanna Nivena, his then fiancé.Nivena on ironmanarmory.com Together they attended a tennis match in Forest Hills, N.Y. that afternoon. Stark brought along his armor, which he was taking to a nearby laboratory for tests. The match was invaded by terrorists who threatened to kill everyone present with a bomb. Joanna urged Stark to don the armor to stop the terrorists. Stark did so, captured the terrorists and saved the spectators by throwing himself atop the bomb. Iron Man thus publicly became a hero, and Stark had a new sense of purpose, having decided to combat evildoers as Iron Man. Wishing to retain some degree of anonymity, Stark established the fiction that Iron Man was his paid bodyguard wearing a suit of armor that he had invented. Only his most trusted aides learned Stark and Iron Man were one and the same. At first Stark used his Iron Man identity only to combat spies and criminals who threatened Stark Industries. During this time, the original Crimson Dynamo attacked Stark Industries, but Tony Stark persuaded him to defect.''Tales of Suspense'' #46 Later, he expanded the scope of his alter-ego's activities to battle any force or person who threatened the security of America or the world. Stark was instrumental in the organization and armament of the original global intelligence and law-enforcement agency known as SHIELD. As Iron Man, he became a founding member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the team of super-human champions known as The Avengers. Stark donated his Manhattan mansion to the Avengers for their exclusive use. As an Avenger, Stark would go on to participate in many missions over the years. With the other remaining founders after the Hulk left, he was among those who discovered the frozen form of the heroic Captain America, still frozen since World War II.''Avengers'' #4 He was also the Avenger who sponsored the membership of Hawkeye, a man whom he had skirmished with, after realizing his good intentions. Hawkeye was one of the new Avengers who joined when Stark and the other founders decided to take leaves of absence.''Avengers'' #16 Over the years Stark constantly refined and modified the design of his armor. From a bulky, transistorized iron suit, he eventually built a relatively lightweight, integrated-circuit, magnetically-polarized suit with more human-looking articulated musculature.''Tales of Suspense'' #48 Stark's extraordinary genius in theoretical mechanics has enabled him keep his suit of armor state-of-the-art. Stark eventually underwent heart transplant surgery so that he was no longer obligated to wear his metallic chest plate. For moral reasons, Stark eventually decided to stop manufacturing armaments and devoted his company to other areas of technology.Iron Man on marveldirectory.com The Illuminati In the wake of the Kree-Skrull War, Stark initiated a meeting in Wakanda with Professor X, Mister Fantastic, Black Bolt, Doctor Strange, and Namor to form a clandestine, unnamed group to devise strategy and policy regarding overarching menaces (the "Illuminati"). (June 2006) Stark's original goal was to create a governing body for all superheroes in the world to answer to (with him most likely being the head of that group by his mannerism during the meeting). However, the different beliefs and philosophies, besides the fact that many heroes chose to conceal their real identities, made Stark's plan impractical. Despite this, the group agreed to share vital information. Alcoholism and a New Iron Man In recent years Tony Stark's greatest nemesis has been alcoholism.Early Years on ironmanarmory.com As a wealthy socialite, alcohol had been a constant part of his life. When his company, which had changed its name from Stark Industries to Stark International, was threatened with the takeover at the same time he was experiencing oppressive personal problems, Stark began to abuse alcohol. Although he managed to recover quickly from his first serious bout, the compulsion to drink remained a constant temptation. The second time he succumbed to alcoholism, due to even more devastating personal problems than the first time, Tony Stark went on a several month binge during which he was cheated out of Stark International, had all Iron Man suits destroyed (except one), lost the leases on his various apartments, and had his personal assets frozen so that he could not touch his fortune. All of this was the result of the machinations of the mysterious European entrepreneur Obadiah Stane, who took over Stark's company, renaming it Stane International. During this time, Stark's friend James Rhodes, who had gone to work for Stark after leaving the military, assumed custody of the Iron Man armor and operated as Iron Man in his stead. When Stark finally regained his sobriety, he joined with Rhodes and two of his friends, Morley Irwin (late of Stark International) and his sister Clytemnestra Irwin of Richmond Enterprises, to set up a new electronics firm in California named Circuits Maximus. - In its brief existence, Circuits Maximus became a prestigious and successful firm. While the armor was in his custody, James Rhodes became increasingly enamored with being Iron Man and, upon Stark's return to sobriety, feared that Stark would ask for it back. The cybernetic helmet had never been properly calibrated to Rhodes' brain patterns; he began to have severe headaches and his thinking was clouded. As a result Rhodes began to manifest hostility toward Stark. As part of his therapy, Stark constructed a simple suit of armor based on his original design with no intention of donning it until he felt in control of his alcoholism. When Rhodes began acting irrationally, however, Stark felt obligated to put on this crude suit of armor to prevent Rhodes from doing harm. Stark managed to subdue Rhodes and made necessary recalibration on the cybernetics. For a brief time Stark and Rhodes used their respective suits of armor as Iron Men, although Stark did so reluctantly. At the suggestion of the West Coast Avengers chairman, Hawkeye, Stark designed and built his most sophisticated armor to date, presumably so that the Avengers could find someone to wear the suit and bolster the team's strength. However, soon after its completion, Obadiah Stane became alarmed at Stark's steps toward recovery. Circuits Maximus was bombed, injuring Rhodes and killing Morley Irwin. - Desiring vengeance, Stark donned the untested new armor and sought out Stane. Stane himself put on a suit his engineers had built using Stark's plans, and met Iron Man in battle as the Iron Monger. Losing the battle against Stark, Stane committed suicide. Stark decided that although one is never truly cured of alcoholism, he could also not deny the responsibility of being Iron Man. He resumed his career as Iron Man, and joined the new West Coast branch of the Avengers. Founding Stark Enterprises Stark also managed to reclaim control of his fortune, although he decided not to claim ownership of the company formerly known as Stark International. Rather, he founded a new technological design and manufacturing company, Stark Enterprises, based in Silicon Valley in Southern California. Stark Enterprises quickly became a highly successful and innovative company. Stark learned that an industrialist calling himself Spymaster had stolen the plans for the many secret technological innovations found in the Iron Man armor. Spymaster had then turned these plans over to Stark's most powerful and antagonistic business rival, Justin Hammer, who in turn had made them available to criminals. These criminals had then incorporated the stolen technological innovations into their own armored battle suits. Outraged that his inventions were being used for criminal activity, and even for killing, Stark determined to deprive these criminals of his secrets. He planted a computer virus in Hammer's computer system that would wipe out all traces of the plans for Stark's Iron Man technology. As Iron Man, Stark sought out and caught many criminals and others (such as the United States government's Guardsmen) who wore battle suits utilizing his technology. He implanted devices called 'negator packs' on their armor to fuse the circuits, rendering the suit useless. With the computer records of the plans for his technology gone, presumably it could not be used in reconstructing the suits. The Armor Wars Iron Man accidentally killed the second Titanium Man (also known as the Gremlin) in the course of these "Armor Wars". The United States government branded Iron Man an outlaw as a result of these and other vigilante actions, and his longtime Avengers comrade Captain America was among those opposing him. Stark publicly claimed that he had fired Iron Man in displeasure over his illegal activity. Shortly afterward, Iron Man was apparently destroyed in combat with government forces. In fact, however, Stark had survived. He created an even more sophisticated armored battle suit to wear as Iron Man using technology far more advanced than that which Spymaster had stolen from him. Stark continued to go into action as Iron Man, but publicly claimed that the previous Iron Man was dead and that another employee of his whose identity was being kept secret was now wearing the armored suit. Stark Shot Later, Stark was shot by Kathleen Dare, a former lover of his with an unstable mind. The gunfire severely injured Stark's spine and it appeared he could be crippled for the rest of his life, unable to walk. However he could still function normally within his Iron Man armor. A microchip device was later implanted in Stark's spine that enabled him to walk and move normally once again. This 'bio-chip' proved problematic and degenerative nerve damage occurred. This was aggravated by the attack of Kearson DeWitt, a madman who claimed Stark had stolen his father's designs. DeWitt had Stark's nervous system attacked with a techno-organic virus, but Stark was able to survive. He temporarily had to be placed in cryo-stasis, with Jim Rhodes taking his place as CEO. Soon after recovering, Stark was injured from feedback from a 'telepresence' system to remotely control his Iron Man armor and battle Ultimo. Stark eventually recovered after extensive rehabilitation. Stark was forced to restructure Stark Enterprises when several of Stane's business decisions were leaked to the press. This also caused a number of other heroes to confront Iron Man, such as the Hulk regarding gamma bomb production plants. Stark also quarreled with Rhodes over several good-intentioned but wrong decisions Jim made as CEO (such as selling off nuclear assets to a dummy company secretly operated by AIM), as well as his actions in Imaya. Rhodes was still angry Stark had lied to him about his nerve damage condition. The two briefly clashed, but have since resumed their friendship. Frameup Later, while under the influence of Immortus, Stark committed a number of horrible acts and was temporarily replaced by a younger version of himself. (softcover, , 264 pages, January 2001, ISBN 0-7851-0756-8, hardcover, 296 pages, September 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3796-3) This was corrected when he and the other heroes who sacrificed themselves against Onslaught were brought back by Franklin Richards. When the replacement Tony Stark returned to the 616 Marvel Universe, he was merged with the 616 Tony Stark who was resurrected thanks to Franklin Richards. Shortly after returning he subjected himself to judgment by his fellow Avengers and was exonerated. Stark declined to challenge the Fujikawa acquisition and formed a new company, Stark Solutions. Injuries from battling the Mandarin and other foes revealed a danger of long term armor exposure. The armor's power systems and insulation were significantly redesigned to compensate. Jocasta's AI was recovered from Sunset Bain. Tony was contacted by the Sons of Yinsen, who became worshipers of his mentor and the Iron Man technology. Sentient Armor During a battle with Blacklash during a storm, the armor became sentient. (April 1999) This would be later revealed due to the Ultron Imperative. Iron Man (Sentient Armor) decided it would replace Stark, but ultimately sacrificed itself to repair damage to it's creator's heart. Stark posed as simple worker 'Hogan Potts' at Askew Electronics, incorporating a new alloy called SKIN into his armor designs. After tests against the Shocker, he went into battle against AIM, the Ghost, and finally Ultron after the villain revealed his manipulation of the Sons of Yinsen, his role in the sentient armor, and corrupting the SKIN technology. Stark investigated an early military armor that had been distributed to rebel forces around the world. Temugin also made his presence felt, challenging Iron Man for the apparent death of his father, the Mandarin. A strange alien bio-plasm was investigated in Las Vegas. Stark infiltrated the Thunderbolts posing as the Cobalt Man. Extremis The US military attempted to claim older model Iron Man armors. (July 2002) Their pretense was that Stark had not patented the technology and that he violated agreements made after the Armor Wars by continuing to adventure as Iron Man. At the same time, a new Secretary of Defense was needed. Stark vied for the position and halted a disaster involving the technology as Iron Man. Stark (later revealed to be manipulated by the Scarlet Witch) suddenly threatened a Latverian ambassador at a UN meeting. Clarence Ward used a stolen armor to kill nearly all of Stark Industries' board and Rumiko Fujikawa. In light of the incidents, Stark resigned as secretary. Stark returned to work at a hectic pace, often sleeping in his lab. A former classmate asked for help--a super soldier project named Extremis had been given to a small terrorist group. Iron Man battled the augmented terrorist Mallen, but suffered massive injuries. Taking Extremis himself, Iron Man healed and found himself able to directly interface with technology, especially the armor. Going after Mallen again, Stark was forced to kill him. Stark found himself becoming more and more aggressive battling the Crimson Dynamo and assisting the Avengers against Graviton.Iron Man (Collections) Vol 4 #2 He also began building a group of drones nicknamed the Argonauts. 'Iron Man' was spotted attacking several officials, including those involved in his and Ho Yinsen's imprisonment. Stark agreed to go under watch, but armored up and escaped. He confronted Extremis' creator, only to learn the enhancement was not part of it. He was being controlled by an outside force. The Sentry was sent to apprehend Iron Man, only to find a remote unit and stopped via Tony's manipulation of CLOC. Stark tracked down the sender at a press conference, finding Ho Yinsen's son. He learned Yinsen had been forced to secretly implant a control chip in Stark during their imprisonment years ago. This chip operated on Yinsen's breakthrough in using electromagnetic signals to control the body. Yinsen's wife was killed by operatives looking to steal the technology. In revenge, his son activated the chip, using Iron Man to go after those he felt responsible. A SHIELD sniper soon shot Yinsen's son, activating his fail-safe: the Argonauts. The New Avengers While flying around the city, Iron Man arrived at the Raft prison to aid Captain America, Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Matt Murdock, and the Sentry in keeping prisoners in after a prison break. Tony was initially reluctant to make a new team but eventually agreed. The New Avengers went to find Karl Lykos and found out that SHIELD had been enslaving the Savage Land Mutates to dig in Vibranium mines. Next, The New Avengers found the Sentry and helped him restore his memory before going off to Japan to face HYDRA and the Hand. After they returned, the New Avengers revealed themselves to the world. After this, the House of M occurred, followed by a battle with the Collective. In between these missions, the Sentry was sent to battle Iron Man by the government, and Tony only defeated him by showing the Sentry several reports of disasters awaiting his actions, which caused the Sentry to collapse. Tony also tried to help Cap shut down the Young Avengers, only to help them fend off an invasion by both the Kree and the Skrulls over Hulkling. The New Avengers also attempted to apprehend the vigilante Cloak when he was framed for an attack on his partner Dagger, but were interrupted by the Runaways, who helped clear Cloak's name. Superhuman Registration Act Learning of the government's plans to instigate a Superhuman Registration Act that would force costumed, super-powered individuals to reveal their identities to the government and sign on as licensed agents, Iron Man at first sought to defeat the proposal, even going to such lengths as to hire the Titanium Man to attack the hearing on the act as he testified in order to manipulate opinion in his favor. However, at some point, Tony Stark's opinion of the Act changed, seeing it as a new means to achieve the goal that he had sought in forming the "Illuminati", and to tie the knots of friendship between humans and superheroes. (May, 2006) He attempted to convince the other members of the clandestine group to support the new Act, stating that their input could prevent the Act from becoming too restrictive of superhuman activities, but all except Mister Fantastic rejected the idea of registration. After the Stamford, Connecticut disaster turned public opinion against super humans and fast-tracked the Act into law, Stark came out publicly in support of the Act, but the new law split the hero community in two. All of Stark's planning and manipulation came to fruition as Stark then became the representative and leader of the pro-registration side, placed in opposition to the anti-registration advocates. In his first major public action as a supporter of registration, Stark again unmasked as Iron Man. Prior to the events of Civil War, Stark assisted fellow Avenger Spider-Man and his family. Peter Parker came to regard Stark as a mentor, became his assistant, and accepted a new technologically-enhanced costume from him. Stark also convinced Spider-Man to unmask and go public with his identity as well. However, Peter's feelings of being manipulated and unease about the rightness of Stark's cause grew until Stark revealed a prison for super humans he and Mister Fantastic had built in the Negative Zone. When Spider-Man attempted to escape from Stark Tower, along with his family, in order to join the Resistance, he attacked Stark, who had confronted him. However, due to Spider-Man's override of the suit given to him by Stark and some unexpected intervention by the Punisher, the web-slinger managed to escape with his family and was now considered a traitor by Stark and the Pro-Registration side. Becoming Head of SHIELD Other incidents in which Stark was directly involved was the death of Goliath after being struck down by a clone of Thor, utilizing the Thunderbolts and other super-villains as a task force to hunt down unregistered heroes and even using the Green Goblin as a weapon against them. Unknown to Stark, the Goblin was no longer under his control and was seeking his own agenda; however, Sally Floyd and Ben Urich allege that Stark himself who compromised the nanites in Osborn, an accusation that Stark did not deny''Civil War: Front Line'' #11. Stark went to the moon where the Sentry was visiting the Inhumans. He personally invited the Sentry to join his team, saying that he might not be around to see the end of the Civil War and he would need some stronger heroes to be there if this was to happen. The Sentry followed Iron Man back to Earth, where he supposedly joined his side. Director Maria Hill suggested that Tony might become the next acting head of S.H.I.E.L.D. She cited his higher qualification than her, and the fact that it would "piss the right people off." Tony became very active in shutting down unregistered factions, frequently trying to arrest the New Avengers and pouring SHIELD agents into Los Angeles to capture the Runaways. Eventually, Captain America's group surrendered and were granted amnesty, with Cap agreeing to go on trial for his actions during the "Civil War". However, while in custody, Captain America was killed in an assassination orchestrated by the Red Skull. Stark was devastated by his friend's death, and left unsure on how to proceed. In a letter Steve had written before his death, he asked Tony to insure that the Captain America legacy lived on and to look out for Bucky Barnes. Tony was instrumental in getting Bucky to assume the mantle of Captain America. Iron Man and the other Illuminati were responsible for exiling Hulk from Earth, and were the people Hulk sought revenge on when he returned. Luckily, Stark saw this possibility as an eventuality, and was prepared to engage the Hulk with a brand new Hulk-Buster armor. The battle between them destroyed most of New York City, and blows were thrown so powerful that no other hero could get close enough to help or act. Stark Tower collapsed on top of the two during the battle, and ultimately, Hulk took Tony captive to the Stadium with the rest of his captured heroes. Once all of Stark's sources (and comrades) were exhausted, he rendered the Hulk unconscious with orbiting military satellite lasers he helped install in his appointing as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. He had to draw money from numerous sources (most notably S.H.I.E.L.D itself) to repair Avengers Tower and the several damaged buildings and structures of New York. When Thor returned he learned of the events of the superhero-registration "Civil War" and was angered that Iron Man had waged war on the heroes who had been their friends and that Stark and others used his DNA to create the Thor Clone without his knowledge or permission. Tony began to fight Thor but it became obvious he could not win. Seeking a compromise, Stark rationalized that Asgard could be considered a foreign embassy, with diplomatic immunity granted to its inhabitants. Thor deemed this acceptable and the fighting stopped. Tony came to the remains of the X-Mansion to talk with Cyclops. He informed the former X-Men leader that the government was pushing to get the X-Men registered. Scott told him there were no more X-Men and that they were going to be registered for being born.aftermath of Messiah Complex During the Skrull Invasion Stark's armor was infected by an alien cyber virus which ultimately purged him of the Extremis virus. Stark discovered Spider-Woman herself was the Skrull Queen Veranke who nearly deceived him to join ranks with her. He was saved by Ms. Marvel who upon Tony's request left him with Black Widow who acted as his defense until he could fix his damaged armor to a point to where it was fully functional. Tony led the heroes of New York against the Skrull invaders. His armor however, began to fail in midst of the battle forcing him to return to Avengers Tower for another one. The President of the United States was less than reasonable regarding Stark's action and ultimately removed Stark as director of S.H.I.E.L.D, and disbanded the entire agency itself. Although the battle against the alien invasion had been won, Tony suffered a great loss. His technology was non-functional, his corporations were in dismay, he had many new enemies, and little to no allies willing to help him with any of his problems. Dark Reign After the invasion, the U.S. government also disbanded the Avengers, handing control of the Initiative over to Norman Osborn. Iron Man was later a member of Henry Pym's Mighty Avengers. Before fighting the threat of Chthon, Iron Man helped to subdue the Hulk. He left the team after realizing he was not yet ready to be a part of it. With his Extremis powers failing, Stark was able to upload a virus that destroyed all records of the Registration Act, thus preventing Osborn from learning the identities of his fellow heroes. The only copy of this database remained in Stark's head, while he was now on the run in one of his extra armors, and his remaining armors in Stark Tower were now in Osborn's hands. Iron Man managed to gain a new armor and fought Namor in the Stark Undersea Base. Stark was able to outsmart the Atlantean and escape the collapsing base. Osborn then placed a bounty on Stark's head, offering mountains of gold to the Hood's gang. The members of the secret organization the Cabal gathered to discuss many issues, among which was the hunt for Stark. Stark was losing intelligence by the day which slowed his thinking time and caused him to not be able to pronounce difficult words correctly. He started gathering and assembling parts to make his Iron Man suit easier to navigate and control as it was becoming more and more difficult for him to do so. He later abandoned it for the Dynamo Armor, which he borrowed from Dmitri Bukharin. Tony was later tracked down Pepper but the two were captured by Madame Masque. He managed to escape with Pepper's help, but was forced to leave her behind so she could fend off Masque. He then made his way to Afghanistan, but before he could reach his destination, he was shot down by Afghani militants. With his armor destroyed, Tony was forced to abandon it and proceed on foot to his destination, the secret laboratory that Stark worked with Ho Yinsen as a captive in developing the first Iron Man armor, Mark 0. Dusting off the outdated computer systems, Stark was able to reactivate the old suit, which was now the only armor simple enough for his deteriorating mind to operate. When Osborn personally caught up to the debilitated Stark and beat him savagely, Pepper Potts broadcasted the beatings, costing Osborn credibility and giving Stark public sympathy. Stark went into a vegetative state, having previously granted Donald Blake (Thor's alter ego) power of attorney. Stark Disassembled A holographic message stored in Pepper's armour revealed that Stark had developed a means of 'rebooting' his mind from his current state prior to his destruction of the database. Blake and Bucky resolved to use it to restore him to normal despite Stark's offer in the message to stay in his current state if it would make things easier and Pepper's own uncertainty about the fact that Tony could come back when so many others could not. The procedure on how to reboot Stark was very complicated. First, they had to place Pepper's electromagnet implant onto his chest, which would be fueling his entire biology. Then they jack in the hard drive that Maria Hill recovered, which is a backup copy of his brain before he underwent the Extremis injection and then they activate the implant by channeling Thor's lightning through Captain America's shield connected to it. Meanwhile, in the last remaining vestiges of Stark's mind, he is in a barren wasteland, digging for the lost relics of his life, assisted by a couple named Howard and Maria. However, every time he finds something, giant machines resembling his own Titanomechs attack, causing the illusion to reset. He eventually finds what he's digging for is an iron chest plate, resembling the 1960s version of his old armor. Back on Earth, Pepper, Rhodey, and Captain America send in Doctor Strange to help Tony after the first attempt to revive him failed. The Ghost interrupted the doctor's ritual, but Tony Stark manually overcame his coma and used the Ghost's ghostphone to transport the assassin away. It was then everyone realized Tony's backup memory drive was not quite complete, as he was awed by the events he read about on his computer after the skirmish, which included the Civil War, Captain America's assassination, the Secret Invasion, and Dark Reign. Siege During most of the Siege of Asgard Tony Stark was out of commission, but suddenly returned wearing an older version of his armor, disabling Norman Osborn's stolen Iron Patriot armor and signaling the return of all three main Avengers; including Thor and Steve Rogers. After the Siege, Tony builds a new model of armor with the help of Mister Fantastic. He also apologizes to Thor for everything he has done. Later, Tony announces that he will make a new company, Stark Resilient. Age of Heroes As Steve Rogers recruited him into the new Avengers he argued about whether he should be in the team, as seeing Steve reminded him of all the horrible things that happened prior to this moment, until Steve announced he wasn't leading the Avengers, as he had selected Maria Hill to lead them in his place, to which Tony preferred. Stark reviews how Ezekiel Stane crippled his repulsor production facilities. The only thing he has left is a helicopter and a few laptops. Stark then "rehires' her as his CEO of his new company, though he can't pay. He then goes to New York to seek out Reed Richards to help him create his new suit. In New York, while forging the new armor, Richards and Stark discuss the new upgrades. Because his body can't survive or do anything with his new chest implant, therefore, the new suit has to be an upgrade to his Extremis modifications and take advantage of his entire being. In Oklahoma City, Pepper has arranges a meeting with the military generals, to inform them that Stark Industries, for all intent and purposes, is broke. Just then, there is a sonic boom, before Stark arrives through the door. He then states that while he's rebuilding the company, Stark Industries will be withdrawing from weapons development. Babbage yells him, reminding him that Stark Industries that had kept America safe and asks whose side he is on. Stark answers that he's on his own. As the generals walk out, Babbage tells Stark that he's broke, so if he wants money, he should reconsider. Stark is helping with the rebuilding, when he sees Thor descend from the sky. The fellow Avengers have a talk. Stark apologizes to Thor for all of his sins, explaining that at the time, he believed that what he was doing was right. Thor remarks that that's the old friend he knows. He offers Asgard's treasuries to help him fund his company, which Stark declines, declaring that he will build it up piece by piece. Later, Stark announces the title of his new company -- Stark Resilient. He then gives out a big speech detailing his repulsor implant and how other people envied it. He offers it to the worlds to help solve the fossil fuel problems in thirty years. If they don't, he'll put them all out of business Up on the rooftop, Pepper berates Stark for making such an outlandish proposition. As she and Maria take off in a helicopter, Stark forms his new Iron Man armor around his body to take it for a spin.Invincible Iron Man #25 Tony Stark explains to Maria Hill that everything about Iron Man is in the very flash drive he gave her. It is meant to be given to Captain America, but he doesn't elaborate further than that. It is need-to-know for Cap. He then tells her an anecdote about a mistake he made with another woman. The lesson of the story is that he believes that what he has done was for the greater good and he'd do it all again. Hill then walks out on him Stark contacts Carson Wyche, a former employee of his whom he fired after presenting a new type of PDA twelve years ago. Wyche currently runs a company that manufactures electric cars, and Stark wants to be his partner in using repulsor energy to help power his cars. Rhodey interrupts their meeting to inform Stark of a shipment of crates being delivered, courtesy of Steve Rogers. Changing into his Iron Man armor, Stark tears apart one crate to find the battered-up Mark 0 suit inside. Also, several other shipments have been sent. Up to nine Iron Man armors have been recovered, including the Mark 0. Stark then prepares to melt them down.Invincible Iron Man #26 Tony talks with Pepper, who wants her repulsor disc and her Rescue suit back. Tony is reluctant, but Pepper states that she wants a new suit, just like Tony's. Despite this, Tony replies that he doesn't want to lose Pepper. Pepper says the he won't lose her, and then she asks him if he remembers anything about his time on the run. Although he denies this, Tony remembers the time when he kissed Pepper. Tony tells Pepper that she is the new COO of Stark Resilient, so she needs to find a way to prevent her time in the field from compromising her obligations to the company, then, they will talk. Pepper replies that she knew he would say that. Tony and Pepper meet with Bambi Argobast, who wants to return to Stark's company. Tony tells her that Stark Resilient is still a young company and it cannot afford to pay employees, but Argobast still insists in helping. Pepper is prepared for a surgery that will place an electromagnetic battery inside her so that she can pilot the Rescue armor. Tony and Arbogast watch the surgery as they recieve an emergency call from Tokyo. Tony then finds Rhodey, dressed in his War Machine armor. Rhodey tells him that maybe he should walk away while he still can. But Tony says that he doesn't want to walk away. They will go to Tokyo, because that is what they do. Iron Man and War Machine then fly to Tokyo.Invincible Iron Man #27 Tony and Rhodey go to a Stark Industries warehouse, where Maria yells at them for entering recklessly into Tokyo without her permission. Rhodey leaves while Tony and Maria talk. Maria is still angry at Tony, who replies that he has spent his whole life apologizing and that he still recovering from his memory loss. Tony then asks her why is she angry at him, and Maria remembers when she had sex with Tony, to which she remains silent. Tony then remembers that she has met Sasha Hammer before and goes to find some tapes. While he gets the tapes, Tony meets the hires for Stark Resilient. Getting into a talk with the hires, Tony asks them to build a repulsor-powered car in six weeks. Tony and Rhodey watch the tapes and discover that Sasha was with Ezekiel Stane when he destroyed Stark Tower Taipei. They conclude that whatever Detroit Steel is, Hammer and Stane are at the very heart of it. Rhodey then asks to Tony what will he do, and he replies that he will do a party.Invincible Iron Man #28 Tony takes Pepper to see her new Rescue armor. Pepper asks for permission to wear it and Tony agrees, telling her that the party is at Friday night at nine o' clock in Seattle. Pepper accepts the invitations and takes the armor to fly around the world. Later, Tony, Argobast and the hires meet in a Wyche automotive facility in Seattle. There, Tony tells the hires that will build two cars in six weeks until the 21-Green International Expo starts. Later, Tony and Rhodey attend to the party and see that Pepper also came. Tony and Pepper try to kiss, but the electromagnets in their chests don't allow them to get close. Pepper notes that the Hammer girls have come. Tony goes to meet them and kisses Sasha in the hand. This makes Tony and Sasha leave the party together.Invincible Iron Man #29 | Powers = While the armor is not on Stark still has some powers, due to the Extremis Virus. Psi-Shields: Due to new S.H.I.E.L.D treatments, Stark's mind is shielded from even the strongest telepaths. Direct Cybernetic Interface: Extremis has fused Stark's armor to his body, allowing him to store the inner layers of the Iron Man armor in the hollows of his bones as well as control it through direct brain impulses, and use some of its powers while not on. He has direct control over the communication devices, scanning equipment, and recording devices located in his helmet. *''Wireless Communication:'' He is also able to remotely connect to external communications systems such as satellites, cellular phones, and computers throughout the world. *''Superhuman Reflexes:'' The Extremis virus grants him super speed reactions and movements. *''Regenerative Systems:'' He has the ability to heal himself and repair the armor. Iron Man's primary powers come from his armor. Suiting up the Iron Armor: The armor used to require several machines to put on the suit, in a lengthy process. Later, this was changed to having it in a suitcase, which shortened the suiting up time, but was not very effective on the battlefield. However, recently, it has been shown that Stark can hold the armor within himself, and use it when needed, and spring into action in mere seconds. Crystallized Iron Armor: The armor has evolved from a bulky iron suit to a molecularly aligned matrix of crystallized iron enhanced by magnetic fields over layers of other metals like titanium, creating a shell that is pliable, yet capable of amazing resilience and protection. *''Superhuman Strength:'' He is capable of lifting up to over 100 tons when wearing his armor. *''Superhuman Speed:'' Even when not traveling for extended distances, the armor enables the wearer to move and react at high speeds. *''Enhanced Durability:'' His armor is very durable, capable of withstanding tremendous amounts of punishment. It can withstand high caliber bullets with ease. He can also withstand rockets, missiles, torpedoes, high powered lasers, and such, taking little to no damage. Future armors were fully resistant against electricity, fire, heavy impacts, ice, energy blasts, even Thor's attacks(see Thorbuster). The suit can withstand almost unlimited kinetic and thermal impact, as well as most forms of radiation thanks to its refractory coating. The armor can survive anything short of a nuclear explosion at ground zero. The suit automatically protects its wearer when he enters an intrinsically hostile environment, such as outer space or deep sea. The armor even has specialized circuitry that guards against telepathic attacks. *''Flight: The armor can typically reach speeds in excess of Mach 8, in recent comics however Iron Man has been depicted as able to reach orbital velocities (5 miles per second). Use of the jet boots provide enough power to lift a load of about 500 tons. *Power Cells: The armor is powered by a combination of solar converters, electrical batteries and an on-board generator that uses beta particle absorption as a fuel source. Not to mention the arc reactor that also powers the suit. *Energy Conversion Power Recharge: The armor is also able to convert nearby energy sources, such as heat or kinetic energy into electricity, or even drain energy directly into the batteries for recharge. *Energy Absorption: The armor is also able to drain multiple forms of energy for its own use. *Self-Contained Life-Support System & Environmental Protection: The armor can be completely sealed for operations in vacuum or underwater, providing its own life support, and is shielded against radiation. *Repulsor Rays: The armor's primary energy weapon. A particle beam weapon, standard equipment in the palm gauntlets; can repel physical and energy-based attacks, traveling as a single stream or as a wide-field dispersal. *Unibeam: A powerful searchlight, capable of projecting beams in virtually every light spectrum. Also used as a powerful weapon that can destroy anything in its path. *Energy Shield: Energy shielding that can protect the user from harm. It is also capable of reflecting attacks. *Monobeam: A powerful beam used on early versions of the Iron Man suit. However, it's range was only a few yards. *Tri-beam: This version of the Unibeam runs on direct power from the Arc Reactor, draining it's energy rapidly if not fully charged. It has considerable knockback. *Multi-beam: As the name implies, the Multi-beam can fire multiple energies at the same time. Generally used with the energy that Tony Stark has absorbed. *Omnibeam: Rather then only firing beam type attacks, the Omnibeam can generate heats at 25232 degrees Fahrenheit, extremely powerful lights causing irreversible blindness in the enemy, and emit ultrasonic attacks capable of stunning even superhumanly durable foes and even causing disintegration. *Lasers: Standard lasers that can be used as weapons or for welding. *Smart Missiles: The Smart Missile is one that can target the weak points of a structure, object, or foe to inflict maximum damage with minimal payload. *Micro-Rocket Pack: Similar to an assault helicopter rocket pack, holds a variety of up to eight rockets, including High Explosive, Concussion, Smoke, Flare, and Miniature Nuclear Bombs. *Pulse Bolts: Extremely powerful plasma discharges that propagate in strength over distance. *Hyper-velocity Impact: The program Hyper-velocity allows Tony to think and move at a much faster time frame then everyone else, allowing for quicker attacks. Also, it could create an electrical bubble if Tony is going fast enough. *Nanobots: Tiny nanobots can attack machines and tear into their armor. A certain variety used against aliens can turn their biological weaponry against them. *Override: When required, armor systems including strength amplification, durability amplification, and repulsor intensity can be greatly increased, theoretically by about 800%, by bypassing safety circuits and limiters. However, there is a chance that this can result in a complete system failure of the armor. *Energy Shield/ Blade: Based on the same design Tony Stark used to build Captain America's energy shield, this laser sword, emitted from his left arm, could also be flattened into a shield on his hands, or spread over the entire armor to encase the armor in a protective covering. *Vibranium: Vibranium could be used in several ways, mostly against things that are made of metal. Certain ones bringing even Thor to his knees. *Plasma Discharge: A plasma discharge is given off when the suit comes into contact with Vibranium. This discharge is strong enough to bring even Thor to his knees. *Magnetism: The armor can use magnetism to pull or push metal objects at will. | Abilities = '''Industrial Genius:' Quite apart from the powers granted him by the suit, Stark is an inventive mechanical engineering prodigy, constantly creating new technology and looking for ways to improve it. Furthermore, this extends to his remarkable ingenuity dealing with difficult situations such as difficult foes and deathtraps where he is capable of using his available tools like his suit in unorthodox and effective ways. Expert Engineer: He is an excellent engineer and mechanic capable of fixing almost, if not all, machinery. Expert Businessman: Stark is extremely well-respected in the business world, able to command people's attentions when he speaks on economic matters by virtue of the fact that he is savvy enough to have, over the years, built up several multimillion dollar companies from virtually nothing. He is known for the loyalty he commands from and returns to those who work for him, as well as his impeccable business ethics. He also strives to be environmentally responsible in his businesses, and in one case, immediately fired an employee who made profitable (but illegal) sales to Doctor Doom. Expert Tactician: He is a brilliant tactician capable of quickly formulating strategies and new plans should the situation change. Skilled Combatant: Stark was trained in unarmed combat by Captain America and has become quite physically formidable on his own when the situation demands it. Indomitable Will: As evidenced by his two serious bouts with alcoholism and subsequent recovery, Stark is possessed of tremendous strength of will, never giving up and often emerging from defeat even stronger. It is arguable that the true "Iron Man" is not the armor, but Stark himself. | Strength = Without his armor Tony Stark possesses the normal strength of a normal human man his age, height, and build who engages in moderate regular exercise. The armor magnifies Stark's strength to superhuman levels, enabling him to normally lift (press) roughly 100 tons. If sufficiently powered by an outside source, the armor can achieve higher levels. | Weaknesses = | Equipment = Iron Man wears a sophisticated suit of body armor containing various offensive weaponry. He has a number of suits aside from the current model. Some are mission-specific or prototypes for testing, others are older models kept for nostalgia or for research. He has developed a special briefcase to carry his armor in. A few models are too big for the case and require a separate module. As the multi-billionaire head of a global corporation, director of a global law enforcement/espionage agency, and a genius-level inventor, Stark can procure or develop additional technology as needed. Tony possessed the Reality Gem ]] and Avengers Identicard. | Transportation = When not traveling in his armor or using a Quinjet as an Avenger, Stark owns a number of vehicles. Some of them have been modified, such as a Ferrari capable of flight. | Weapons = Varies by armor | CustomSection1 = Related Articles | CustomText1 = * Iron Man's armor * The Avengers * New Avengers * Mighty Avengers * Avengers West Coast * Force Works | OtherMedia = * Iron Man (Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends) * Iron Man (Avengers: United They Stand * Iron Man (Spider-Man: The Animated Series) * Iron Man (The Incredible Hulk 1996 animated series) * Iron Man (Iron Man Animated Series) * Iron Man (Ultimate Avengers 2006 film) * Iron Man (Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes) * Iron Man (Marvel Vs. Capcom) * Iron Man (Iron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal) * Iron Man (The Invincible Iron Man Game Boy Game) * Iron Man (X-Men: Legends) * Iron Man (Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects) * Iron Man (Marvel: Ultimate Alliance) * Iron Man (The 2008 Iron Man Movie) Cameos *Iron Man is unlockable after beating Tony Hawk's Underground which came out in 2003. *Iron Man, Tony Stark and Stark Enterprises make an appearance in the 2005 Punisher video game. An inside joke alludes to Stark's alcoholism: After viewing the destruction left by the Punisher, Stark sighs and says, "I need a drink." *An old woman wrongly believed that Spider-Man was chasing Iron Man in Ultimate Spider-Man. Spider-Man was actually chasing the Beetle. Stark himself does not appear in the game, and only his codename gets mentioned. Toys *'Iron Man (Toy)' Toy Biz Marvel Legends Series 1 *'Silver Centurion' Marvel Legends Series 7 *'Modern Armor' Marvel Legends Series 8 *'Hulkbuster Armor' Marvel Legends Series 11: The Legendary Riders series *'First Appearance Armor' Marvel Legends Series 14: The Mojo series *'Thor Buster Armor' Marvel Legends Series 15: The MODOK series File:70147.jpg|Series 1 File:71120.jpg|Series 7 Silver Centurion File:IronMan.jpg|Modern Armor File:71155_450.jpg|Hulkbuster File:71176_thmb_lg.jpg|1st appearance File:Thorarmor.jpg|Thor Buster | Notes = * The identity of Iron Man was publicly revealed when Tony donned half the suit to save a dog from being run over. This was then later covered up by Stark claiming to have given up the suit with someone else now inside. * The teenage Tony Stark was incorporated into the real Stark. | Trivia = * Lee based Stark's personality on Howard Hughes, explaining, "Howard Hughes was one of the most colorful men of our time. He was an inventor, an adventurer, a multi-millionaire, a ladies man and finally a nutcase"."Bullpen Bulletins" (Dec. 1997 Marvel comics): "Stan's Soapbox" (column), by Stan Lee * As revealed in Iron Man #243, Tony Stark's blood type is A+ (A Positive). * Tony Stark made a brief behind-the-scenes cameo appearance in Super Friends #5 by DC Comics. He telephoned a Super Friends telethon and spoke with Batman, wherein he pledged $75,000 to the Heart Fund. * Tony's favorite sport is soccer. * Forbes.com has listed Tony Stark as #4 on its list of fifteen wealthiest fictional characters, with a net worth of US $8.8 billion.The Forbes Fictional 15 (2010-04-14) *''BusinessWeek'' has ranked Iron Man as one of the top ten most intelligent fictional characters in American comics.The Smartest Superheroes (2006-06-01) | Links = * InvincibleIronMan.com & Message Boards (sister site to Advanced Iron) * Advanced Iron - THE Iron Man Site to visit * DRG4's Iron Man the Animated Series Page * Iron Man Figure Archive @ toymania.com * Iron Man: The Animated Series (1994-5) @ Marvel Animation Age * Iron Man Message Board * * Iron Man 12 * The Iron Man Armory * John Jackson Miller's Iron Man production notes and trivia * Under the Armor - An Iron Man Fanlisting * Iron Man Comics - Marvel * Marvel's Iron Man Page * Iron Man Movie Group link * Stark's Site * Marvel Directory * Forbes *HEAVY METTLE the legend of IRON MAN from Unca Cheeks the Toy Wonder's Silver Age Comics Web Site! }} Category:Flight Category:Geniuses Category:Armor Users Category:Concussive Blasts Category:Plasma Generation Category:Technopaths Category:Millionaires Category:Alcoholics Category:Avengers members Category:New Avengers members Category:Mighty Avengers members Category:Stark Family